Two foreigners among 5 killed in UN office suicide blast

Pakistan

Two foreigners among 5 killed in UN office suicide blast

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05 October,2009 01:11 pm

A suicide blast near the United Nations (UN) World Food Program office in Islamabad killed at least five people including two women and injured seven others, Dunya News reported Monday. Twenty persons have been arrested after the blast whereas all the UN offices in the country have been closed temporarily. The blast took place at the gate of UN World Food Program office situated in a fortified F 8-3 area of Islamabad. According to sources, foreigners who were killed in the blast include an Iraqi and an Ethiopian while both the women killed, Farzana Barkat and Gulrukh Tahir, were Pakistanis. The emergency has been declared in the hospitals while seven injured have been shifted to the PIMS Hospital Islamabad. Police surrounded the area and heavy contingents of the security officials have been deployed near the spot. A policeman present at the site told that the blast took place near the security wall. Special security arrangements had been made for this area of sector F-8 and a large number of security personnel had been deployed. UN Spokesperson Ishrat Rizvi told Dunya News that the food program wouldnt be affected by this tragic incident, saying that this was not the first time that such programs of the UN were attacked. DIG Operations Islamabad Binyamin told the media that seven to eight kilogram explosive material was used in the blast. He said, It was a suicide attack. We have found the legs and the skin of the skull of the suicide attacker. No organization has yet accepted the responsibility of the blast. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had condemned the blast. It is noteworthy that important government offices and residences of top officials are situated in the area.